Videoconferencing is one of the fastest growing segments of the computer industry. This growth is based in part on affordable digital video cameras. Digital video cameras (e.g., “WebCams”) can be integrated with personal computers and displays to enable users to videoconference from a variety of locations (e.g., home, office, hotels, subway trains, etc.) Unfortunately, each location has its own unique lighting conditions, which may not be ideal for capturing quality digital images.
Some digital video cameras include a built-in flash that is automatically triggered in low-light conditions. These cameras, however, do not allow the user to control the characteristics of the flash (e.g., intensity, duration, color, etc.) based on ambient light conditions, and therefore tend to capture images that are too dark or too bright, even when operated in adequate lighting conditions.
For those millions of users who are not fortunate to own a camera with built-in flash (or external flash), the only recourse is to move to a different environment or improve the lighting conditions of the current environment. In some environments, however, the user may not have control over the lighting conditions (e.g., a public building, train, hotel, etc.).